Medica Materia A Mob Psycho 100 Fantasy AU

Chapter 12

Serizawa discovered that one of the advantages of living in Reigen's household was the washroom and private well. The Apothecary had them for ease in making medicine and for sanitation but it was also useful for cleaning up after vigorous lovemaking. Serizawa found that the fence outside was high enough that he could walk to the well nude and be undetected. For some reason, he found the idea delightful.

"We should get dressed," Reigen called to him from the bed.

"Why?" Serizawa asked, drawing another bucket of water. He was enjoying looking at Reigen's disheveled appearance. If the Apothecary put clothes on, Serizawa would just have to take them off again.

"We're joining the Kageyamas for supper," Reigen said. "And we can let them know that they don't have to worry about us for the night."

"And restoring the shop?" Serizawa asked, not that he had been concerned about that an hour before. He brought the bucket of cool water into the washroom.

Reigen groaned, arm thrown over his eyes. "We'll start that nightmare in the morning. Between rehousing the refugees and the Resistance plotting, no one should bother us for a few days. Besides," he sat up, "don't you want to hear how Shou dragged Ritsu into his little rebellion?"

Serizawa did, actually. There was a lot he wished to know. He had missed much during his year in isolation. "When are we going?"

After a brief discussion, they washed and redressed successfully despite wandering hands and errant kisses. Luckily, the journey from the shop to the church on foot was only a few minutes long. They made it just in time to help Mrs. Kageyama prepare the meal. Reigen, Serizawa and Mob were volunteered for the glamourous task of vegetable peeling for the stew.

"You were gone for a while Master," Mob said, picking up another carrot from his pile.

Reigen's laughter rumbled with nerves; he had not yet told his student about his relationship with Serizawa. It was still young and new; he wanted to keep it for himself for the moment. "There was a lot to inspect in the shop."

"It wasn't the shop Serizawa was inspecting," Dimple muttered.

Reigen refrained from throwing the nearest object he could find at the spirit. If Dimple wouldn't help, he could at least keep quiet. "The damage isn't bad, just the front window," he told Mob. "It's mostly a lot of cleaning."

"That's good." Mob finished his carrot. "Having the Apothecary open again will bring people hope."

"It'll make everyone know Seasoning is back on the map!" Shou chimed in. He was cutting the peeled vegetables for Mrs. Kageyama. A task that he was ill-suited for having never worked in a kitchen.

Reigen snorted at the boys' enthusiasm. He felt that the shop was an important part of village life but that they were exaggerating its significance for his benefit.

"Why did you decide to start all this, Shou?" Serizawa asked. His decision to leave Claw had been an impulsive one and he wondered if Shou's was the same.

"Well, I knew that Father's plan wouldn't work but I thought, 'Hey, I'm just a kid' what could I do?" Shou asked. "So, I just let things be, thinking that he'd fail and that would take care of the problem." The knife stopped moving, Shou's expression grew dark. "Then he threatened to kill Ritsu."

"He what?" The carrot in Mob's hand snapped in half, his hair floated in agitation.

"King Suzuki has a belief that personal attachments make one weak," Serizawa explained, remembering how the older man would lecture him often on the subject.